Cooking Lessons
by Megaolix
Summary: See the battle between Souji Seta and one of his strongest foes: Mystery Food X. In groups of snippets.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4.

* * *

1.

Souji Seta wondered why he had allowed this to happen.

He couldn't blame anyone but himself for this whole mess. Why he hadn't stopped them when he had the chance, he had no idea.

Before he could manage to return to an upright position, he started to feel sick. His arms suddenly were weak and his vision was shaky.

What the heck was going on? Yosuke was fine, so why wasn't he? Unless… No, that couldn't be right…

In the stupidity of trying the fo—"Mystery Food X," had he swallowed some without realizing it?

As soon as the idea passed though his mind, he felt his stomach rebel. Whatever he had swallowed did not agree with his body.

He actually felt like that thing was trying to eat him from the inside. But that was just his imagination… right?

He knew what was going to happen in a few seconds. But before that, he had a very important task to finish. Gathering his energy, he moved, despite his body pleading to just stay lying down.

Souji stood up, walked to the girls watching him nervously and grabbed them by a shoulder.

The fact that his eyes looked dead serious about whatever he was going to say or do did nothing to calm them down.

"W-What's wrong, Souji?" Chie asked. She wanted to run away or at least put a little more distance between him and her, but his grip kept her from doing that.

Souji didn't care how uncomfortable they felt. He made sure that both were looking at him before speaking.

"Next day off, cooking lesson at my place."

His task complete, he finally passed out to the surprise of everyone watching the scene.

------------------------------

The whole day, Souji reflected, had been hell. Not only the work and the food, but being lectured by King Moron and knowing that he was right for once, about the complete lack of intelligence he had demonstrated.

* * *

2.

Souji took a few seconds to glance at his list. He had the rice, the onions, the potatoes…

"Err… Souji?"

Ah right, the carrots. He knew the fridge had one, but that wouldn't be enough for the curry.

"Senpai?"

Hopefully, this would rid him of the sickness he felt every time he saw a curry plate. The school campout had been a traumatic experience that he wanted to erase from his memory. It had been a success.

Except for the food. No matter how much he wanted to, he COULDN'T forget that.

"Souji, are…"

"What is it?" Souji asked, finally answering his friends following him.

Yosuke was silent. Frankly, Souji looked far too serious about this self-imposed task. Even now, he looked at the two of them as if he was going to give them orders like he did in the TV world just before facing a strong Shadow.

"How can I say this… Um, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, will they even come after what happened at the river?

"Weren't we supposed to forget about that, Senpai?"

"Oh, sorry. But still, you understand what I'm saying, right?"

"I bribed them with food."

"Oh."

Yosuke didn't say anything after that. There was no need to.

Despite the fact that it hadn't been three months since Souji came to Inaba, it would be difficult to –not- know who he was at school. It wasn't because he was the transfer student. In fact, if you asked a student about him, he would only mention that bit last, if at all.

First there was his intelligence. Some had suspected he was bright since he always answered the questions aimed at him correctly, but the exams nailed the point home. Souji was smart, even taking the top scoring position from Yukiko.

Her fans weren't happy when she congratulated him about it.

Next, Souji could apparently help anyone get anything they wanted. The rumors about that hadn't start until he got something for Ms. Sofue. After that request, people noticed she was quite happy with her new rod, and she didn't hesitate to explain why. But Souji never revealed his source, so some speculated that he had contacts with high-placed persons who could and would get him anything he asked for.

Of course, the investigation team knew better than that.

Lastly, everyone knew that Souji was a great cook. Despite insisting that everyone was exaggerating, nobody believed Souji when he said that he was "Only okay." All one needed to do was ask his friends. They never complained when he invited them for lunch. Some students said that theirs was a biased review, but there were too many corresponding accounts to take that detraction seriously. Yosuke, Chie, Yukiko, Kou and Daisuke, Ayane, Ai… Anyone he invited for a meal would later be seen in quite a good mood. Some whispers even told that the chef at the Amagi inn was considering hiring him part-time.

Once again, Yukiko's fans were not happy. Risette fans would join that group soon enough and it would be the same when Naoto joined his group of friends, but that's for the future.

Still, even the angry ones acknowledged his talent at cooking.

"Kanji, can you get me four carrots while I go get some pork? Make sure you check the ones at the bottom of the stack first, they're usually the freshest.

"Ok, Senpai."

Kanji left while Yosuke followed with Souji.

"Dude, are you sure about this? I mean, even if it was an accident, it had to take skill to make something that bad. And even if one of them made a mistake, they'd still probably argue that they didn't do anything wrong."

"I'm sure about this. If I demonstrate how to do it first, watch them as they cook it and write the recipe down step-by-step for them, there's nothing that can go wrong, right?"

Famous last words.

* * *

3.

He ran home as soon as he heard about it. His superiors wouldn't be happy, since he ran off during work hours, but he had no time to explain.

It wasn't every day that you got a phone call telling you that an ambulance had been dispatched to your house. That it was for Souji was even more unexpected.

He parked his car and got out in a hurry. The ambulance had already left, but he wanted to check if anyone was in the house before going to the hospital.

Once inside, he quickly took a look around. Tatsumi was sitting on the sofa. One of the waitresses from the inn was here, comforting Amagi. Satonaka was standing near her friend, looking equally distressed.

"I'm here. What happened?" Another look around the room confirmed that someone he expected to see wasn't here. "And where's Nanako?"

Kanji got up and walked to him.

"She said she wanted to go with senpai, so Yosuke went with her."

"I see… Souji said you were going to be here today but what on earth happened here?"

Both Yukiko and Chie looked down as Kanji started to talk…

----------------------------

Flashback

"Cooking lessons?" Nanako asked.

Souji had forgotten to inform Nanako of his plan for the day.

"Yes. I'm going to teach Yukiko and Chie. You don't mind?"

"Of course not! Can I watch too?"

"Of course."

Yosuke and Kanji were here too. On the counter were all the ingredients needed for curry. Souji just needed to wait for the girls to arrive.

"Where are they anyway? Aren't they late?" Yosuke asked, checking the clock.

Just as he asked, the doorbell rang. Souji opened the door. As expected, it was Chie and Yukiko.

"Sorry we're late!" Chie called as they entered. "We… Wait, what are you guys doing here?" She asked, spotting Yosuke and Kanji.

"Well. I wanted to see how it would go."

"I had nothing to do, so I decided I might as well learn something from senpai."

"I see." Chie answered. "But I think you came for nothing."

"Why?" Souji asked, curious. Yukiko moved forward and held out a lunchbox in front of her.

"Well, before coming here, we tried to make curry again. I know we made a few mistakes the first time…"

"Just a few?!" Yosuke interrupted

"Alright, so it wasn't edible!" Chie snapped, before turning to Souji. "We decided to try it again but then we realized we were going to be late so we came here right after we finished. I'm pretty sure it turned out right this time, so can you try it?"

Souji took the lunchbox and opened. Indeed, it looked good. Nothing seemed strange.

Then again, Mystery Food X also looked normal at first glance…

"Where did you cook it?" Souji asked, curious. If his suspicions were right…

"We cooked it at the inn, why?" Yukiko answered.

"Just curious."

Well, it was probably safe then. The staff of the Amagi inn would have stopped the two if there was something strange about the curry. Souji knew Yukiko was trying to learn how to cook by herself, and even though she wasn't good at it so far, it was still edible and better than her effort with Chie at the campout.

"Alright then. Just give me a second."

He took the lunch box and grabbed a spoon. He sat down at the table with the curry in front of him. Yukiko and Chie moved closer to await his verdict. Souji took one bite of the meal.

Everyone leaned forward, waiting for his reaction.

A few seconds later, Souji's eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted.

"What the hell!? Souji?"

"Senpai, are you still awake? Senpai!

"Big bro!"

The girls were too stunned to react. Like a scene out of a horror movie, it got worse.

"Oh my God, is he foaming at the mouth? I'm not dreaming? Kanji, call an ambulance, quick!"

"A-Alright! Hold on senpai!"

"Big bro! Big bro! Nooooo!!"

----------------------------

"It was pretty much a blur after that. Nanako wouldn't leave senpai, no matter what, so Yosuke went with her."

"I… see." Dojima said, glancing at the curry at the center of the situation. He then turned to the waitress.

"Can I ask why you're here?"

"Well… As you know, they cooked that at the inn. We were busy at the time so we didn't pay attention to what they were doing. As soon as they realized they were going to be late and that they still had to clean up, we offered to clean for them. They packed and left right then. However, once we started cleaning, the chef realized what they had made and immediately sent me to stop them. But I was too late..."

She then bowed to him in apology.

"I'm sorry… If only we had noticed it earlier…"

"No, it's alright. It's… Hold on a second, I need to answer the phone"

Dojima took the phone that had started ringing and immediately answered it.

"Dojima residence… Yes… Yes… That's good… Alright then. Yes, I'll give them the message. Make sure to bring Nanako home, alright? Thanks."

He turned off the phone and turned to the people waiting for him to tell the news from the hospital.

"That was Hanamura. As expected, it was food poisoning. Souji's resting right now, but he should be back tonight if all is good."

He then turned to Chie and Yukiko.

"Before falling asleep Souji also mentioned that he wasn't giving up on you two."

Silence followed that declaration. Apparently, Souji was more stubborn than any of them had given him credit for.

Or suicidal. Maybe it was both.

"Wow… Senpai's really determined about this."

----------------------------

He slowly returned to consciousness. The last thing he remembered was eating that… that… whatever it was, and then darkness. He opened his eyes…

And saw the very familiar face of Sayoko Uehara right in front of him.

"Whoa! U-Uehara-san?!"

Souji lost no time moving back on the bed. The nurse chuckled at his reaction as she stepped away.

"Eh eh, did I scare you? I saw you moving so I decided to have a little fun…"

Souji started to calm down. He really couldn't let his guard down around her.

"I heard about what you did. That wasn't very smart of you given you already knew what those girls were capable of cooking up."

"I thought someone had kept an eye on them to prevent just that…"

"Then I suppose it couldn't be helped… But that makes me wonder, how good are you at cooking?"

"Well… I think I'm good. I haven't had any complaints yet."

"My. I don't usually eat at night, but I would like to try your food once. Who knows, I could even let you eat something of mine if it's good enough…"

Once again, Souji felt himself becoming very nervous. This, of course, only made Sayoko smile even wider.

"You're so fun to tease! Well, if you're alright, you can go home. But I really would like to try your cooking someday."

Sayoko left after that. Souji left for home immediately after her, thinking about his future plans on the way.

There was no way he could give up now. It would be a hard and long road, but he was more determined than ever to teach Yukiko and Chie to cook. If not for himself, then for the sake of anyone else who would ever try to eat what they cooked.

Well, people always said that the road to success was long and painful.

* * *

4.

Souji knew this week was going to be hell. It was only Monday, and he already wanted to go to bed and sleep all week.

Not only he was still sick from yesterday, but it seemed Rise would be the next victim unless they found a way to stop the killer.

At least the girls had apologized for the food yesterday. Starting next lesson (which wouldn't be for a good while if they had to rescue someone), he would finally be able to teach them how to cook properly.

Today, he planned to hang out with Yousuke before going home.

"Hey Souji. Going home?"

Kou and Daisuke were talking in the corridor as they passed by.

"Well, I'm going to hang out somewhere with Yousuke before that. I don't feel like doing much today."

"Well, I can understand that. After what happened yesterday, I think I wouldn't even have bothered coming to classes." Yousuke added.

"Huh? Did something happen?"

"You could say that. Souji here got a taste of Mystery Food X version 2 and had to go the hospital for food poisoning."

"Mystery Food X? What the heck is…?"

"Did I hear you correctly Hanamura?"

Souji groaned. Of all the people to overhear him, why did it have to be HIM?

Sure enough, Morooka had exited the washroom and was heading their way. Souji took the time to look upward and ask God if he hated him.

If he had fourth-wall-breaking powers, he would have heard someone saying that while He didn't hate him, it was just fun to torment him.

"Care to explain why you didn't understand the lesson the first time Seta? Surely you weren't expecting them to cook better just after a little while, right?"

Souji could only grit his teeth. Daisuke, Kou and Yousuke wisely took a step back.

"Well, I'm waiting!"

Might as well get it over with.

"I wanted to help them get better at cooking but they tried to cook on their own again and wanted me to try it."

"What?"

Souji just ignored Kou and waited for King Moron's inevitable lecture.

"Well… Don't think you're fooling me for a second, Seta."

Huh?

"I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to get Satonaka and Amagi at the same time, aren't you?"

What?!

"You city boys are all the same. Always trying stupid stunts to impress girls and make them fall for you. I can't do anything about it now, since it's going on outside of school, but you can be sure that I'll keep a close watch on you when you're here, got that?" He added, before leaving.

Souji just stared as the idiot left. How the hell could he jump to that kind of conclusion?

He turned back to his friends only to find them staring at him. But why… Wait a moment, they didn't actually think that…

"Wait, don't tell me you believe what he said? Even you, Yousuke?!"

"Me? Nah, he just took me by surprise. You should have seen the look on your face when he said that!"

Thank goodness. But that still left him with the others to deal with.

"What about you two? You still haven't said anything."

Daisuke was the first to answer.

"To be honest, I can't see why else you would eat something that bad twice. I know I wouldn't."

Kou spoke next.

"They actually cooked for you… Doesn't that mean that they care about you, at least?"

Oh Jesus…

"Guys, think for a second. A girl cooks something for you. Screw the reason, she just does. Will you really refuse to eat it? Even if you knew what would happen next?"

Daisuke laughed, but Kou had a troubled look on his face as he imagined that scenario with a particular girl in mind.

"I… see. Forget what I said and help them get better. Please."

Afterwards, the four of them just went to get something to eat at Aiya's before going home. Souji considered the whole matter closed.

Unfortunately, he forgot three facts.

First: King Moron was loud.

Two: People who wouldn't listen to said idiot at first would start once Chie and Yukiko were mentioned.

Three: The only thing that moved faster than light was the power of gossip.

"Do you think what King Moron said could be true?"

"It can't be. That guy always jumps to conclusion."

"But… it is true that they've both been acting different since he arrived."

"Now that you mention it…"

"And they always seem to hanging out with him and Yousuke these days."

"You think that it's his plan? Bring them closer to each other first then bring them closer to him?"

"That has to be it! I mean, he even got sick for them!"

"Wait, isn't Kanji Tatsumi joining them these days?"

"Wait, for real? Do you think…"

And the day went on…

-----------

Well, they now knew for sure who the next target was now. The only problem he could foresee would be finding a way to stay close to her without being mistaken for stalkers. At the very least, they had to warn her to be on her guard.

"Well, let's go," he said.

Chie and Yukiko just looked at him strangely, and didn't move.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"N-Nothing!" Chie answered. "It's just that me and Yukiko have something to do today, so we can't go with you."

"If anything happens, call us." Yukiko said. With that, they left.

"...Is something wrong with them?" Souji wondered.

Come to think of it, the entire day had been strange. People had been staring at him for no reason all day. Even Ayane, when he saw her at lunchtime, gave him a strange look.

"Oh, they probably just heard the rumors." Kanji answered.

"What rumors?"

"You mean you didn't hear about it? They say you're trying to seduce the two of them at the same time."

Yousuke and Kanji had the privilege of seeing their stoic leader struck speechless.

"Apparently, they also say you're going to ask me to protect you from other jealous guys."

What. The. Hell.

"Please tell me you don't believe those rumors."

"Nah, I know better than that. But I do wonder how those rumors got started."

Souji and Yousuke shared a look. They had a pretty good idea about that.

"I think you should clear things up with the girls first, Souji." Yousuke suggested.

Souji slumped against his chair.

"I'll call them later… Can we just do what he planned to do now?"

Forget one week… He would be lucky if the rumors stopped and his credibility was restored after two.

* * *

5.

Souji wanted to slam his head on the wall of his room the day before the operation, after thinking back on the fiasco of their second stakeout. It wouldn't do any good now, but he realized there had been too many mistakes made that day.

First of all, how the heck didn't he recognize the guy for he was: a fanboy of Rise? The camera alone was a clue. The fact that he was climbing a pole to use his camera, which had nothing to do with kidnapping people, had been another.

Second, why didn't he just ask someone to stay back just in case? There was really no need for everyone to run after one single person. Then again, here was the risk that the killer could capture and throw the person staying back in the TV too. And since Shadows were excited whenever a Persona-user was around… The idea of a single person facing them AND defending someone else at the same time wasn't very appealing.

At least Adachi had one thing right. He kind of wondered what kind of face his uncle had when Adachi brought the poor guy to the station.

Well, no use dwelling any further on the past. If he was lucky, the paparazzi would be at the river tomorrow and he would have the info he needed for Teddie.

The ringing of his cellphone brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Yo Senpai. It's Kanji. I wanted to know if we were we starting the operation tomorrow."

"If we're lucky, yes. Since it's going to rain, be sure to not be tired tomorrow."

"Sure thing senpai."

Some experimentation had shown to the team that certain types of Shadows only came out when it was raining. While they weren't always stronger than the regular ones, that meant more potential bad surprises and more things to watch out for.

"By the way, there's been something else I wanted to ask about…"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well… Don't get me wrong, I know it's only a rumor, but I wanted to know if you were actually interested in Chie-senpai or Yukiko-senpai."

"…"

"Senpai?"

"…Sorry, you just caught me off-guard."

"O-Ok."

"To be honest… I DO like them but as for dating on of them them? It's been almost three month since we've become friends. If it happens someday, I'll think about it more, but for now…"

"Oh, alright. I was just curious."

"Of course, I can trust you to not talk about what I just said."

"Hey, don't worry senpai. I know better than that."

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Sure thing. See ya."

Just as Souji closed his phone, it started ringing again almost immediately.

"Hello Souji? This is Chie."

"Hello. What is it?"

"About the operation… Do you think we can start it tomorrow?"

"I'm pretty sure I can get the info we need for Teddie tomorrow."

"Phew, good… Anyway, I know this isn't really a great idea, but… can we try to save her tomorrow if possible? I know we have time and all, but it'll be raining all day and that night too and…"

"I understand. If it goes well, there should be no problem, but we can do anything if we become too tired, alright? Medicine can only do so much and if we're dead, it'll be really over for her too."

Souji did understand Chie's concern. The Midnight Channel attracted more and more viewers as time passed, but Yukiko and Kanji weren't known outside of Inaba. But with Rise… The wrong person watching the 'show' could spell disaster for her.

He was afraid of someone finding a way someday to record those shows and post them on the Internet. Considering how she was when he met her… Facing a potential scandal just after being saved in that state wouldn't end well.

"Thanks, I'm glad for that."

"No problem. Anything else?"

"Well… I know I should wait after we save Rise for that but…"

"But…?"

"I know I already apologized the other day, but I'm really sorry about what happened Sunday."

"…As long as it does not happen again."

"R-Right… Well… I want to try making something on my own. I know I'm not that good, but I've heard Yukiko tries alone, so I decided I should try more too. I wanted to know if…"

"If I can tell you how it is?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Well, I don't see any problem."

"R-Really? Thanks. O-of course, I'll make sure it's good to eat before giving it to you. I really don't want to see a repeat of that day either."

Souji could sense she was a bit nervous. Probably because she never cooked for a boy before. And thinking about it, Souji thought it would probably be a good idea to make sure Kou didn't hear about it.

"Well, good night Souji."

"Good night Chie."

Perhaps it would be best to go to sleep early tonight. It would be a long day tomorrow.

The phone rang again.

"Yes?"

"Yo Souji. It's Yosuke. Are we going into the TV tomorrow?"

"Yeah. That's not a problem for you?"

"Nah, just wanted to know. I just hope this won't get any crazier than in the sauna but considering that show…"

Souji nodded to himself in affirmation. He couldn't really get his hopes up on that.

First it was 'Yukiko' who wanted to score a 'hot stud'. Then 'Kanji' who wanted… Enough said. And now they had to deal with a 'Rise' who wanted to reveal everything.

Now that he thought about it, Souji wondered if the Shadow manifestations of people were all perverted. Yosuke's Shadow wasn't on that pattern but still…

"Alright then. That's all. Try not to get poisoned before we save her, alright?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Sorry."

"If you really feel sorry, why don't you take my place when it's time to taste the food?"

If he became incapacitated any further, Sayoko would start to get ideas…

"Hell no. You're the one who wanted to give them lessons, not me."

"It was worth a try."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Well, off to sleep now…

…Or not. Guess what was ringing again? Sure enough, a check to the caller's ID confirmed that it was Yukiko.

"Hello Souji-kun. It's Yukiko. I want to know if we are doing the operation tomorrow."

"Yes, as soon as I get the information on Rise we're missing."

"Thank goodness… We really should get Rise out as soon as possible."

Souji, on his side, was kind of glad there wasn't anyone else on the team at the moment. Next time, he would hold a meeting at Junes to tell them the situation after an investigation's day. Not that he disliked them, but each of them asking them the same thing?

"By the way… Hmm…"

"Yes?"

"Well… I'm still really sorry about the other day and…"

"I'm alright now so don't worry."

"Y-yes, that's good. Anyway, I know I said I wanted to learn alone but… W-Well, I was wondering if you could come to the inn to help me sometimes……"

"Alright, sure."

"T-thanks. It's that I… I really don't want to abuse of your generosity and waste all your food and…"

"I understand. I already said I don't mind coming."

"O-oh, right… Well, see you tomorrow Souji-kun."

"Good night."

This time, Souji stared at his phone for a full minute to see if anyone else would call. After that, he prepared himself to go to sleep. Hopefully, Rise would be rescued tomorrow, all would go well overall and the rumors about him will disappear tomorrow.

Alright, he knew he shouldn't keep his hopes up on the last part, but can you blame the guy for that?

* * *

6.

The investigation went well, despite the near-fatal situation they had when they fought Rise's Shadow. The situation with Teddie was not expected, but they managed well with the idol's support

Today was a day off and Souji had called the girls for a cooking lesson. Hopefully, the first lesson would finally take place and he wouldn't need to go the hospital. While he waited for them he was reading his school's notes. Finals would be soon after all.

The doorbell rang and Nanako went to open the door. He stood up, expecting Chie and Yukiko to come in.

Sure enough, it was them. And Yosuke and Kanji also were also with the girls.

"Yo Souji! We decided to… Wait, what are you doing?"

He turned his head to see what Yosuke was staring at: the table. Sprawled on it were his school notes he had taken downstairs.

"That? I just decided to start reviewing a little instead of just waiting. Finals are getting nearer so I may as well start studying now."

"Wow, you already started? I was just asking myself if I should start soon." Yukiko added.

And while they talked, the mood of the other three members of the group took a sudden dive.

"How can they even get themselves to study now… Exams are what, three or four weeks away?"

The depressed tone in Yosuke's voice was evident. The same for Chie right after.

"Don't ask me… But it's no wonder their grades are so good…"

--------

"…And now you add the onion, potatoes and carrots in the pan."

"Alright… Be careful Yukiko, it's supposed to go all in!"

"I know!"

It was quite entertaining to see the two girls diligently following Souji's instructions. Knowing that the food would be enjoyable also helped.

"Now we add the water and we make it boil."

Still, after hearing all the instructions so far, Yosuke didn't see what was so hard. He even felt confident enough to do it himself with instructions.

How could the girls mess up this bad just became an even bigger mystery.

"Lower the heat and just let it cook now. We have to wait for around forty-five minutes."

"Done!"

"What should we do in the meantime?"

"It's always better to wash the plates and utensils used sooner than later. It's easy when the food isn't sticking to it."

Kanji was talking with Nanako. Yosuke took one of Souji's books with his notes inside and opened it. How the heck did that guy managed to pay that much attention in class. He even managed to separate what King Moron actually taught from his rants.

"What do we do now?"

"Well, there's nothing to do but wait now."

"Do you mind if we study? There are some things I'm not sure I got right and I wanted to ask you about it."

"Noooo! Please Yukiko, I really don't want to think about the exams now."

"But even Yosuke-kun started studying…"

Not expecting his name to be called, Yosuke could only look up in surprise as Chie turned to him.

"Yosuke, you traitor!"

"Wait, what? I was just taking a look!"

"Oh yeah? You looked quite absorbed in it!"

"Wait, why are you mad at me because I'm reading Souji's notes ?"

In the end, there wasn't much studying done…

--------

"It's ready!"

The group gathered around the single plate of curry served. Despite how simple it looked, the smell pretty much assured that it was a success.

"It looks good! But are you sure we shouldn't have added more ingredients?"

"Yes, we could have. But how about you try it first?"

Yukiko was a bit hesitant, but she took a bite. Souji wouldn't have let her taste it if he wasn't sure of the result, right?

"Oh… It's curry alright. It's good."

Chie also decided to taste it after seeing her friend's reaction.

"Yeah, you're right. But how come it tastes good? I mean, I know we did the recipe right, but we didn't use many ingredients…"

"We could have added more. But it's important to be able to do it once right first. After that, you can experiment a little to see how much the taste change. When you try it, try adding one or two things and you'll see."

"Oh… I get it."

"Me too!"

And thus, Souji Seta scored his first victory against Mystery Food X. But the war was far from over…

* * *

Author's notes: Here is a Persona 4 fic that I wrote for the fun of it. As you saw, it's in snippets. I write them at TFF first, then I'll regroup them to post them in a chapter. This is purely for fun. Have amusing ideas? Send them and I'll see if I can add them to the next group of snippets.

I probably already did it, but I intend to deviate from the main theme sometimes. So don't hesitate to send non-cooking ideas too.

Also, I thank Watashiwa-Nanashi for helping to correct some of the snippet

I'll appreciate any review sent. If you found mistakes, don't hesitate to send a PM.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4.

* * *

7.

In retrospect, Souji should have expected something like this.

Like he promised Rise, he showed her around town, mainly spots that Souji became familiar with. He had no problem doing so and that was the least he could do after she saved them when they faced Teddie's Shadow.

Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly difficult to recognize in Inaba. At least nobody came to them, but that certainly didn't stop them from gossiping about what they saw:

Souji walked with Risette to school. Risette also looked happy to be with him.

And just like that, dying rumors now roared back to life. As he walked to school, he had heard some students accusing him to try to seduce Risette like he did with Chie and Yukiko.

The first class hadn't started yet and he already just wanted to crawl back into his bed.

As if that wasn't bad enough, it seemed their new homeroom teacher, Noriko Kashiwagi, had a grudge against him today. If Souji had to guess, it would because the 'spotlight' was focused on Risette and him, the now popular transfer student.

It wasn't even a month and he already wanted Morooka back.

Morooka. His death took everyone by complete surprise. He seemed like an annoying bug that you couldn't get rid of. Many hated him, but now everyone seemed to think that he wasn't that bad. At least not bad enough to be killed. Souji even heard some rumors that he was actually alright and reliable outside of classes.

Well, no way to confirm that now…

The bell rang, signaling the lunch break. Souji immediately escaped to the roof, having no desire to deal with gossipers and fanboys right now.

-------

The roof was the place to go when you wanted to be by yourself or with someone in private at school. Souji didn't really know why, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

But not long after he arrived, the door opened again. Turning, he saw Chie coming to see him with what appeared to be a lunchbox.

"Ah, there you are Souji." Chie said as she walked to him. "You took off before I could even talk to you."

"Sorry. I just didn't want to deal with rumors right now."

"Yeah, I see what you mean…"

They sat down. Chie hesitated for a moment, but handed the lunchbox to Souji. He opened it to find curry inside.

"H-here. I tried to make it again and I tried something different like you suggested…"

"Alright. Thanks."

He borrowed the utensils she brought with her and tried a bite. He chewed on it a little before swallowing it.

It was alright, but it was spicy…

REALLY spicy.

"D-Do you have anything to drink?"

"Uh? Umm… I didn't bring anything to drink. Is it too spicy?"

Souji just nodded. He set down the lunchbox and the utensils next to him before standing up.

"If you'll excuse me…"

Not even waiting for her reply, he took off to find the nearest source of water, passing by a surprised Yukiko who just came up on the roof.

"Huh? S-Souji-kun?"

Before she finished, Souji had already disappeared. Looking around, Yukiko saw her best friend, currently in a depressed mood.

"Chie, what happened?"

"I screwed up again…"

"Oh… I suppose he won't try what I made then…" Yukiko said, motioning to the lunch she brought.

They didn't speak. But even then, the silence didn't take long to be broken.

"Senpaaaai! Are you here?"

The two girls looked up to see Rise, their newest addition to the investigation team, looking around, not finding the person she was looking for. But she did approach the girl after spotting them.

"Hey Senpais! I heard Souji-kun was here. Did you see him?"

"You just missed him… He had to get some water after he tried my curry."

"Huh? You made lunch for him?"

Yukiko and Chie both realized that Rise didn't know about that particular situation. But before they could even speak, she had already noticed Yukiko's own homemade lunch.

"You too Yukiko-senpai? I… I thought the rumors were just crazy but…"

That wouldn't end well…

"Waitwaitwait! You got it all wrong! It's just that after… a certain incident, he offered to teach us how to cook!"

"Yeah!" Yukiko said, following Chie's lead. "It's just that! Souji's not like what those rumors say!"

"Huh? Of course I know Souji-senpai isn't like that. It's you two who are trying to seduce him!"

Thankfully, there was no one else around to hear THAT.

"Wh-w-wh-WHAT!?!?!" Chie managed to say, trying to process what she just heard.

"Don't try to deny it!" Rise said, pointing at Chie in an accusing manner, "I mean, why else did you accept his offer, made lunch for him and care so much for his opinions?"

"Be-because…" Yukiko tried to respond, but failed.

"I know that I haven't known him for long, but I can sense that there's something… different about him." Rise said, her eyes lighting up as a small fantasy of hers passed in her mind. "So that's why I'll do what I can to get him!"

After her bold declaration, she turned and returned inside the school, leaving the others two girls in silence.

"Yukiko… Did Rise… Did she really just said that?"

"Y-yeah… She did."

* * *

8.

Souji was the leader for very good reasons. Not only he was the best fighter, partially thanks to his ability to use multiple Personas, but he had no problem keeping his cool, even against the worst odds. The others could always count on him to make rational decision because of his calm nature.

"Senpai! Shadows incoming, they have spotted you!"

"Alright. Let's turn left h… NOT RIGHT! LEFT! LE- GET READ-ARGH!"

And he was on the verge of losing it.

After surviving yet another ambush, the group could finally turn in the direction Souji had decided, after a few tries.

Why does it take more than one try to turn in the wanted direction, you ask?

Simple: they were on the 7th floor of a place called 'Void Quest'. Somehow, the intersections changed the direction they were facing when they tried to move past it. This resulted in several ambush by nearby shadows as they tried to move on.

"I. Hate. That. Place." Souji grumbled, far past the point of simply being annoyed. Fortunately, the door he opened revealed the staircase to the next floor.

"Agreed. I hope we never have to see a floor like that again." Yosuke added, not happy either.

"Not having fun trying to beat the 'game' anymore?" Chie asked, following just behind.

"Oh come on! Whatever that was on the previous floor was just plain annoying. To think I actually hoped for a puzzle or…"

"Careful guys, there are shadows just around the corner." Rise chimed in.

"Get ready. They're moving away from us, so we have a chance to take them by surprise." The leader said, readying his sword.

After a quick battle, the group started to move once more. Luckily, the staircases were nearby and they went up once more. From what Rise said, it was probably the last floor before reaching Mitsuo.

"About time. I think my eyes are starting to hurt…" Yosuke commented.

"Yeah. You would think that a game would try to attract players, not driving them away… As it is, it's just your standard annoying dungeon."

"Do you play a lot of games Souji-kun? You seem to know a lot about them." Yukiko asked, curious.

"Well… I supposed I used to. I don't think I bothered to play a game or use my laptop since I came to Inaba."

"Really? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Maybe. But it's not like I had time to be bored."

"At least YOU don't. You either work or you're with someone. How many jobs did you take again?" Yosuke asked.

"Let's see… I was first making envelopes and translating stuff. I was also making origamis if I felt like it. But I've left that behind. Now there's the day-care, the janitor job at the hospital and the tutoring sessions."

"Dude, how the hell do you manage to get top scores at school with all of that and still have a life?"

Rise took the opportunity to chime in the conversation, "Wow… Senpai, I had no idea you were such a hard worker."

"Yeah." Chie added, impressed. "I mean, I knew you were good, but you even tutor?"

"It's not that hard, it's just…"

Whatever he was going to say got cut off as Rise interrupted him, "Senpai! Shadows straight ahead!"

After defeating them and a small pause for healing, Yukiko restarted the conversation, "Still, I'm surprised it was you who took that job."

Like I was saying, it's not that hard. Shu is already smart, so it's more about explaining the details."

"Wow, sounds like you're having an easy time…" Yosuke commented. "Too bad the same can't be said about your cooking lessons."

Oh, if Chie's glare was as strong as her kicks…

"At least we're improving! You'll be the one who's going to be sorry once we're good while you won't be able to cook anything!"

"Well, at least I use common sense when I make something!"

Souji was glad noise didn't attract random shadows as their argument once again escalated. He certainly didn't want to try to stop them. He had no idea what could stop them.

"Hey Senpai." Rise said, "If I hired you, you could tutor me in the evenings too?"

Note to self: Shocking statements can stop fights. Current problem: he had no idea how to answer her.

"Damn… What did you do to impress her so much?" Yosuke muttered.

Fortunately, Souji was saved from having to answer as Rise continued to talk, "Just kidding… I don't think I could study that hard during the evenings. But if I have trouble, you'll help me, right?"

"Well, sure, of course."

"Hehe. I'll be counting on you then."

Well, Rise sure seemed happy. But for some strange reason, he really didn't want to turn around right now…

"Ummm, why are you two… N-No, nevermind, I don't want to know!" Yosuke commented.

Souji REALLY didn't want to turn around right now. He prayed that his instincts were good today and that the staircase was near.

Thankfully, he was heard. The group was facing a very large door, leaving no doubt that Mitsuo was behind it. He asked for the others to come since he wanted to get him today.

"So how are doing this Sensei?" Teddie asked.

"Well, we just enter, confirm he's the killer and if he tries something, we stop him. That should be simple. He didn't look armed and I doubt he has anything we can't handle."

"Now that's the kind of plan I like." Kanji commented.

"Ready?" Souji asked, walking to the door. "I'll open it now."

Souji touched the door and the rest of the group held their breath in anticipation. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then… nothing. Souji just stood here, not doing anything.

"It's locked, isn't it?" Yosuke asked.

"Yes."

"So…"

"I'm trying to remember if there's a floor we didn't really explore."

"Senpai…" Rise said, in a low voice. As if she didn't want to tell him what she had to say. "I think it could be on the 7th floor… You know, the one with-"

"I see…" Souji replied. Somehow, his voice was a lot colder.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. It isn't your fault after all. The one responsible is just behind this door." Souji said, before turning back and returning to the stairs. "Kanji, Teddie and Yukiko, come with me. Yosuke, Chie and Rise, you can stay here. We won't take long…"

The group of three watched the others leave the floor.

"You know, I would feel sorry for the guy if he didn't deserve whatever Souji's going to do if he even attempts to resist." Yosuke commented.

* * *

9.

"Nanako, is there a medical kit in the house?"

"Yes… But why?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to know."

Yosuke was very nervous as he watched the girls, Souji AND Teddie, who wanted to join the competition, cook. He had no doubt that Souji would win this, but he was afraid to see how badly the others would fail. Since Souji wasn't watching over them, preferring to concentrate on his own omelet, Yosuke did the only thing he could do: assume the worst and prepare for it.

The fact that Teddie asked the others to help him understand certain parts of the recipe he was following wasn't reassuring him.

If this was just that, there would be no problem but… Somehow, there seemed to be some sort of tension between the girls. Rise and the others two, he could understand. But it was rare to see Yukiko and Chie compete as seriously as now. Do they have something to prove or what?

"Senpai, isn't there anything we can do? I don't think it's going to end well…" Kanji asked, waiting with Yosuke and Nanako for the others to finish.

Yosuke didn't answer that. He shared the same pessimism as Kanji and could do nothing but wait for the inevitable.

"It's done!" Teddie announced, full of pride. He was coming to the table with an omelet that looked… normal. Almost good too.

That meant nothing. Yosuke knew by now to not judge any meal by appearance.

"Same here!" Rise said, also coming with a plate.

That was it. It was now time to face the feeling of doom he had ever since they went shopping for ingredients…

----

_"Uh... If they're all making the same things, why are they splitting up to different parts of the market...?"_

_That was a very good question. There was an answer to it, but that would mean that someone's hard work had been..._

_"Don't worry Yosuke... They just didn't want to walk together, that's all."_

_Yosuke would probably just have agreed with Souji if he hadn't answered that in a voice that sounded far too creepy for him._

_"I should get what I need too... Yukiko and Chie should be ok by themselves by now and I'm sure Rise has some skills since she seems so confident. There's nothing to worry about..."_

_With that, Souji walked off to get what he needed, muttering to himself. It should be worth noting that he went to a part of the market none of the girls went to._

_"I think I'm scared Senpai..."_

_"Me too Kanji. Me too..."_

----

Yosuke took a moment to review the results so far.

Rise's omelet was just horrible, to the point of knocking out Yukiko in one bite. Yukiko's own creation tasted nothing from what Kanji and Souji said. Souji himself was at a complete lost at the time to explain how that happened. And Chie's one was awful, but it was better than the 'curry' at least.

While Chie was trying to wake up Yukiko, Yosuke glanced at his partner. He couldn't see his eyes, but he was definitely unhappy with the results so far. And he just stood up and walked away to his room.

"I'll be back in a minute. I forgot I had something important to check in my room."

Nobody answered him. Souji's tone was strange. And when it was strange, you had to expect something to happen.

"Where… am I? What happened?" Yukiko mumbled, who chose that moment to wake up.

As Yukiko cleared her head, something… happened. Yosuke wasn't sure what happened, but something definitely did. Everyone was taken by surprise as the TV turned itself on for a second before shutting off. And was it just him or did he saw something like a wave on the screen?

"What was that?!" Nanako asked, a little panicked.

"I'm… I'm not sure." Chie answered.

"Sorry for the wait, I'm done." Souji announced as he came down.

"Big bro! The TV just turned itself on!" Nanako said.

"Really? Well… It was probably nothing. I'm sure it won't happen again."

Something was wrong. His partner looked far too calm compared to how he was just a moment ago. What the heck did he do in his room? And for the TV to act weird just as he was gone… Wait a second; didn't Souji have a TV in his room?

He didn't just go and screamed his frustrations with his head inside the TV, didn't he?

As Yosuke looked around, it seemed he wasn't the only one to ask himself that.

"Well… Do you want to try your big bro's omelet now Nanako?" Kanji asked, trying to put behind what just happened. Yosuke quickly agreed with Kanji.

Besides, the poor girl just tried three bad omelets… Better give her a break before she tries Teddie's one.

And as expected, Souji's omelet was delicious. Nanako was happily eating it, but she let everyone else try a bite.

"W-Wow… I've eaten omelets before, but this is the best one I've tried in my life." Rise commented, clearly surprised.

"Same here." Kanji said. "Then again, that's pretty much what I expected."

"It's the first time I've eaten an omelet, but this is really good. I wonder how's mine?" Teddie asked.

"Well… I'll try it." Yosuke said. He already tried two, so one more wouldn't be too hard…

He took a deep breath, but the utensil in his mouth… and his eyes went wide open in surprise.

"It's… It's good!" He said, surprising everyone.

After hearing this, Nanako tried it herself and also seemed pleased with the results.

"Big bro's omelet is better, but this one is really good too!" She said.

"No way…" Chie said in full disbelief. She too tried a bite and was as surprised as Yosuke. "I can't believe this! How did you do that?! That was probably your first time cooking!"

"I realized I didn't really know how to make an omelet and I saw a cooking book lying around. I found a recipe inside and I just followed it the best I could." Teddie explained, full of pride at his success.

By now, everyone had tried Teddie's omelet. Kanji was surprised too, the girls were depressed right now and Yosuke could swear he saw Souji shed a tear of joy when he tried it.

Must have been nice to know that there was finally someone else good at cooking around…

"Still can't believe Teddie managed to do better than all three of you… Makes me wonder how you managed to screw up." Yosuke commented, addressing the girls.

"Yosuke…" Chie said in a threatening voice, "Don't say another word…"

----

The day was finally over. Souji went to see everyone leave and wished a good night to them. Even if he had a nagging feeling that something was wrong, he hoped the case was over now. Still… there were too many questions left unanswered. And thinking that Mitsuo was the culprit of all the murders and kidnappings…

"Hmm, senpai?"

Souji train of thoughts stopped as he noticed Rise was still here in the entrance.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I'm pretty sure you're disappointed by my omelet after what I said… Cooking is way harder than I expected it to be. But… I've heard that you were giving cooking lessons and…"

"I don't mind helping you too." Souji said, already knowing what she wanted to ask.

"Thank you senpai!" Rise said, smiling happily.

"Of course, it will have to be at the same time as Yukiko and Chie. I'm afraid I don't really have much time to teach everyone separately." Souji added, feeling the need to inform her about it.

"O-Of course. There's no problem. I know you're busy in your free time."

Was it just him or did her smile just twitched?

…Nah, he was probably just sleepy. Best to ignore it and say nothing about it.

"Well then, I better go. Good night senpai.

"Good night Rise."

* * *

10.

Yukiko didn't know what to think.

What was wrong with her these days? She felt angry whenever Rise walked close to Souji-kun or when she saw her flirts with him these days. Since when did it start?

"Stir it a little to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom."

Yukiko nodded and did as told. They were currently at the Amagi Inn for the current lesson. It wasn't too busy in the afternoon so they had enough space to cook without disturbing the staff working right now. Yukiko would follow Souji's instruction and he would simply watch, only intervening in the case of an imminent screw-up.

Yukiko wondered if it was such a good idea to invite Souji-kun here to have private lessons. Once in a while, she would hear the waitresses whisper. It wasn't hard to guess what they were talking about.

Wait, was that her mother's voice just now?

Rise was right: their leader was far different from any other boy she had seen before. He was both strong and kind, he always helped others when he was asked to and she couldn't help but blush whenever he said a compliment to her. Also, he pretty much was responsible for saving her in the hellish battle against her Shadow.

At least, that was what Chie said.

But did she like Souji-kun that way? And was he interested in her?

"Okay, it's boiling now."

Rise was obviously interested in him. Was Souji-kun interested in her? She wasn't much and Rise was an idol. Did she even have a chance?

"Yukiko?"

No, that didn't matter now. She had to sort out her feelings first. But she was confused. What could help her see if she really liked Souji-kun that way?

"Yukik- Watch out!"

Startled, Yukiko could do nothing as Souji grabbed her right hand stirring the meal in preparation and moved them away from the boiling pan. She was too distracted in her thoughts to notice the overflow and she would probably have been burned if Souji hadn't intervened.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

""Ye-yes." Yukiko answered, looking at the now ruined meal, "I'm sorry… I was distracted and I've wasted your time now that the recipe is ruined."

"That's not a problem. It's better than seeing you get hurt."

While Souji asked for things to clean up the mess, Yukiko simply stood where she was, blushing at what he said and caressing her hand. Somehow, she couldn't help but think of how nice his hand felt when he grabbed hers.

----

Thankfully for Chie, there was no one around to gossip on her. Her parents were both at work right now and Souji would be gone long before they came back. So it was just the two of them alone at her home.

Once that last thought crossed her mind, her face flushed red.

Wait, why was she embarrassed? There was absolutely nothing between them! They were just good friends.

Right?

Chie couldn't figure out Souji. He wasn't like any other boy she knew. The only problem he seemed to have was not talking much. Apart from that, he was smart, brave and strong, he didn't mind helping others, he was great friend and he seemed to be able to do anything. Surely Souji wasn't the only one like that, right?

Who was she kidding? He was like the pearl every girl hoped to find, but knew better than to hope for. Even she felt more self-conscious now that it was just the two of them.

"Chie? Are you listening?" Souji asked.

"Eh, what?" Chie asked, "Ah! Sorry. I was thinking about something. Can you repeat what you said?"

"Add the rice to the water and put the cover."

"Alright!"

Doing as he said, Chie's mind returned to her earlier thoughts. Souji was so unique that she would never see someone like him in her life. Now what would she do about it?

She wasn't like Rise or Yukiko, but she couldn't help but remember when Souji called her cute. Somehow, he always knew how to embarrass her. But then again, Takeshi had…

No, that guy was nothing like Souji. Souji didn't mind her habits and accepted her for who she was. Comparing him to Takeshi was an insult.

That reminded to give a piece of her mind to him next time she saw him. How dare he blurted out everything and put Yukiko at risk?!

"Chie."

"WHAT?" She replied, still angry before she realized what she did, "Ahh! So-sorry! I was thinking about how Takeshi was going to get it and…"

"It's alright." Souji replied, stopping her, "I understand. Just remove the pan from the fire and leave it like that for a while."

Souji was smiling, but not the happy kind of smile. More like the kind telling you that you did something wrong and that you were going to pay for it. Was he thinking the same thing she did?

Strangely, she didn't feel jealous. She knew Souji would be the same if any of his friends were threatened. That was the kind of guy he was. The one always here for you when you needed help.

Perhaps she would take Rise on her challenge after all.

* * *

11.

The shrine had a nice atmosphere during the summer festival. It wasn't crowded, which suited Souji just right. The timing couldn't be more perfect: his mind kept nagging at him about the case, but it wasn't like anything could be done without new elements anyway. To a small festival was the perfect way to relax in his opinion.

Not that he relaxed much yesterday…

"What are you gonna wish for, Senpai?" Ayane asked.

That was actually a good question.

"Probably for some divine help about my problem…" Souji said, looking at the sky as if he expected an immediate answer.

Somehow, he managed to have not one, not two, but three girls after him. He would have to be a fool to ignore the signs, especially when others noticed it.

----  
_  
"…Souji, how did you manage to do this?" Yosuke asked, after making sure the girls were all occupied._

_During the festival, it had been clear enough that each girl tried to subtly attract Souji's attention. It didn't take long for Souji to understand, but even the others guys noticed._

_"Whatever I did, I swear I was just being myself." The gray-haired teen answered._

_That was the complete truth: what kind of fool would try to get the affection of more than one girl, let alone three? The potential for disaster was so great, you had to be suicidal to even try it._

_"So Sensei is a natural ladies's man? Awesome!" Teddie said, awed._

_Ah, right. There were always those who had the natural charm to avoid all the potential problems._

_Lucky bastards._

_"Well, I supposed you're like the golden apple of the tree." Kanji commented, joining the conversation. "I did hear gossips at school saying that you were almost like the male equivalent of the Amagi challenge."_

_Oh great… So the end of summer vacation would be the beginning of a new hell._

----

"Oh, I see…" Ayane commented in a depressed tone, breaking Souji out of his thoughts.

"Err… Ayane…" Souji started. He had no idea what to say even if he knew the problem. It seemed Ayane also had an idea of his current dilemma and considering what happened between the two of them…

"It's alright Senpai, I understand." Ayane said, answering Souji's pitiful attempt to start trying to cheer her up. "Even if I couldn't get what I wanted, you're still a great friend and you really helped me."

"Well, thanks I guess." Souji said.

Ayane giggled. It wasn't everyday that Souji was the one caught off-guard.

"As for your problem…" Ayane continued, "Maybe you could be a little selfish. You won't be happy if you make a decision because you think you were forced to take, right?"

"That's…" Souji said as he started to think about it, "not a bad idea."

What Ayane said was true. The worst thing that could happen would be to be forced to choose while being cornered. Things would turn ugly fast if he didn't do anything. At the very least, he needed to speak to them now to make sure there would be no problem during the investigations.

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thanks Ayane." Souji said, grateful for the suggestion.

"Shall we continue to look around then?" Ayane suggested. "You're with me tonight and I want to make sure to enjoy it as much as I can."

Souji smiled. Who was he to deny her that?

"Lead the way." He said.

----

The festival had been fun. Souji felt refreshed and far more calm than what he hoped for. Now, if only he could stop himself from laughing.

"Senpai! This isn't funny!" Ayane angrily said, not happy with the situation.

"Awww… You don't want to be my cute little sister Ayane?" Souji replied between two laughs.

"Senpai…" Ayane said, depressed by the situation. "Why do I have to be so small? At least don't tell anyone about this, alright? This is too embarrassing…"

"Sure." Souji answered. "Besides, I think Nanako would be jealous if her spot was taken."

"Senpai!"

* * *

Author's notes: Hope you'll enjoy those snippets. They have not been beta'ed, so don't hesitate to tell me of any mistake I made.

If you were annoyed that the snippets focused too much on the girls, the last one of this batch brings back this under control. Before you ask, this is supposed to be humor. I have no intention to transform this into a ugly and serious situation.

Well, as usual, don't hesitate to leave a review. It's always good for helping me get better.


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